


turn my world upside down (find me)

by zkyriaco



Series: break away (suite life on deck but gay) [2]
Category: Suite Life on Deck
Genre: Bi Bailey Pickett, Coming Out, F/F, Gen, Mild Transphobia, MtF Cody Martin, Sharing Clothes, Supportive Relationships, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, no beta we die like men, socially transitioning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23643055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zkyriaco/pseuds/zkyriaco
Summary: After Cody talked to Bailey, she decided to make some more changes.  Her life could finally be hers, so she wanted to live it fully.or:Cody socially transitioning and coming out to the important people.
Relationships: Cody Martin/Bailey Pickett, Everyone else is friends
Series: break away (suite life on deck but gay) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1701970
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

After Cody talked to Bailey, she decided to make some more changes. Her life could finally be hers, so she wanted to live it fully.

The first thing Cody figured out was her name. Truthfully, she liked the name Cody. It had a nice bounce that made it feel just girly enough. However, it lacked a certain femininity when written down. She decided to test out different versions: Codi, Codey, Codee… until she found the one that was right. She was Codie. It was a perfect combination of letters, and it let Bailey draw little hearts over the i when they wrote letters.

_ Codie Martin _ , she carefully scrawled on her test just before turning it in. Yes, she had half the class left, but she’d already checked it over twice. The only reason she skipped her name was that it was her first time with the new spelling. Well, she’d signed it that way in her letters to Bailey, but that was different. Bailey had been here for her through all of this; Miss Tutweiller probably hadn’t noticed any change. But Codie wanted her to notice. She liked teachers, and no matter how bad Miss Tutweiller was at her job, she was still one of Codie’s most trusted adults. And she was less scared of her opinion than, say, her mom or Moseby.

Once class was over, Miss Tutweiller called Codie up to her desk. Codie took a deep breath, and reminded herself that she expected this. She wanted this.

“What’s wrong, Miss Tutweiller? Did you forget who was who, again? I can go grab Zack, if you want,” Codie opened nervously, despite knowing exactly what was wrong.

“Um, no, Cody. I’m just a little confused. You’re one of the smartest kids in class, and yet…” The teacher trailed off, picking up Codie’s test. “You forgot how to spell your own first name? I mean, even Zack only forgot how to spell “Martin”.”

“Yeah, okay, so, um, I—”

“Cody, woah, calm down, you’re hyperventilating,” Miss Tutweiller grabbed Codie’s shoulder and pulled her into a chair. Codie took a few deep breaths and it all slipped out.

“I did that on purpose because that’s how I want to write my name because I think I’m a girl I mean I am a girl but I don’t want to stop being Codie so please don’t be mad but don’t tell my mom and I don’t need to talk to the counselor I know what I’m doing please please please!”

Miss Tutweiller was silent. Codie’s breath quickened again and the sobs started. But her teacher noticed and rushed to comfort the panicking girl.

“Hey, hey, Codie, it’s okay. I can just… I’ll change your name in the files, and do you—uhh, do you want me to use she/her to refer to you?”

Codie wiped her tears and nodded. “Well, not in class… Bailey’s the only one who knows. Just, I don’t know. I’m trying to change stuff up, but I’m really scared. For now, just rewrite my name?”

Miss Tutweiller smiled, pulling the younger girl into a hug. “I’m here for you, Codie.”

Codie had a new name and ally. She still didn’t feel like herself, though. She still had a boy’s haircut, clothes, and overall appearance, and she dreaded looking in the mirror. The next thing Codie needed was a new look.

She started slowly. She had some barrettes she had used for the play, so she’d clip her bangs back and put on some chapstick. It was easy to excuse the hair clips as a lack of a haircut, and Codie was a self-care freak already, so nobody batted an eye at her chapstick use. This quickly grew old, however. With cargo shorts and khakis, it was hard to feel pretty, no matter what Codie did to her face and hair. But Bailey had offered clothes, and she didn’t have to dive straight into dresses (no matter how much she missed them).

Now here she was, knocking on her girlfriend’s door and hoping she would find her new self on the other side. Bailey opened the door and smiled, motioning for Codie to come in.

“Oh my gosh, I am so excited to give you a makeover!” The shorter girl squealed, pulling Codie into her vanity chair. Codie had to push down some of her excitement to remind her girlfriend that she couldn’t be too obvious. Bailey and Miss Tutweiller were still the only people who knew Codie was a girl, and she wasn’t ready to come out to the rest of the ship yet.

“Okay, but can I still do your makeup? We can take it off before dinner; I just think you’d look so pretty!” Codie beamed. “Pretty” was exactly what she was hoping for, and she was so glad her girlfriend had stuck with her. “Oh, also! I have a plaid skirt, and—I know you’re not ready to tell people yet, but we’re crossing near Ireland, so we can just pretend it’s a kilt?”

Codie smiled, trying not to let her excitement show too much. Bailey kissed her cheek.

“Babe, you know you’re allowed to be excited?”

“I know, I just… I don’t think I can be excited like a girl…”

Bailey laughed. “Excitement has no gender! Besides, you are a girl. However you show your excitement is automatically “like a girl”.”

Codie took a deep breath, still nervous. She slowly got up from the vanity chair, grabbed Bailey’s hands, and started jumping up and down.

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” Codie let out a great squeal of joy. Her girlfriend watched, glad she’d finally gotten Codie to loosen up. After a few minutes of jumping, they eventually tired and Bailey got to work.

When she was done, Codie was in a green “kilt”, matched with a fluffy white sweater and a borrowed pair of Doc Martens. Bailey had painted her nails bright green and done up her makeup. The finishing touch was a sparkly green barrette that left Codie feeling like the prettiest girl on the ship. Except, of course, for her angel of a girlfriend.

“I’ll go grab us a table, ’kay? You don’t have to come down immediately if you want more time in the makeup,” Bailey kissed Codie on the cheek and headed downstairs.

Codie waved goodbye, then turned back to admire her girlfriend’s work. She knew the makeup would have to come off soon, but it made her feel so pretty and girly. Unfortunately, the magic faded when London flounced in.

“Ugh, Daddy cut my allowance again! Stupid recession!” The rich girl threw herself onto her bed, and Codie thought she might be off the hook, until—“Wait a second, you’re not Bailey.” 

Codie sighed, turning around and accepting the questions that were no doubt coming. London did a double-take as she realized who was sitting in front of her.

“Since when do Zack and Cody have a twin sister?” London questioned. “And why are you in my room?”

A part of Codie’s brain jumped, ready to come up with a lie about being a twin sister she definitely didn’t have, but then she thought of Bailey. And Miss Tutweiller. They’d both accepted Codie for who she was, readily helping her. London wasn’t a genius, or a good person, or a friend, or very kind, or smart at all—but Codie was getting off topic. The point was, maybe London wouldn’t hate her, either. Even if she did, they weren’t very close, so it didn’t really matter.

“No, London, Zack and I don’t have a twin sister. If we did, she’d be a triplet and we wouldn’t be identical—but that’s not the point. The point is, it’s me. Codie. I’m in your dorm because Bailey was helping me pick out clothes.”

London gaped, looking up and down Codie for a third time. “ _ Bailey _ was helping you with  _ clothes? _ B-but they don’t look—”

“Like boys’ clothes, I know; that’s the point. I’m wearing girls’ clothes because I feel like a girl. I  _ am _ a girl.”

London laughed. “No, I don’t care why you’re wearing girls’ clothes. I just can’t believe they’re Bailey’s, because they don’t look horrible. I mean, the skirt is eh, but that sweater actually looks like it came from a store! What is that, cashmere?”

Codie was stunned. The most judgmental girl on the boat (screw that, in the world) was judging her for… wearing nice clothes? Not for being a girl?

“Wait, London, you’re okay with this? W-with me?”

“I mean, I’m not okay that—” There it was, the reason everyone in the world was going to know about Codie and hate her and—“that Bailey actually has nice clothes. What’s her excuse for wearing the ugly farm stuff, now?”

After that strange but refreshing conversation, Codie took off the makeup and went downstairs to eat. But she couldn’t stop thinking about London’s reaction. Maybe, if London Tipton herself was accepting, other people would be, too.

“Hey, Bailey?”

“Hmm?” Her girlfriend looked up from where she was laying on her chest.

“I-I think I might be ready to tell more people.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Codie tells her mom, Moseby, and Zack.

“Hey Mom? Can we talk?”

Codie was ready. She had Bailey, London, and even Miss Tutweiller. She was this close to telling Woody just so he’d stop being gross, but there were more important people. Codie’s current plan was to tell her mom, and then (she hadn’t planned out an order yet, they were both important) her brother and Mr. Moseby.

“Of course, sweetie! What’s up?” Carey’s cheerful voice came through the cell phone. Codie was terrified… but it was her mom. She knew Carey had said things in the past, but they were jokes and she couldn’t have known and—

“Codie, you’re overthinking this. I’m right here, babe,” Bailey kissed her cheek, and warmth flooded Codie’s body. She was right. Codie was overthinking, and her mom was probably really confused by her silence.

“Okay, mom, I wish I could tell you this in person, but there’s something you need to know about me.”

“Okay. Cody, sweetie, I’ll always love you, remember.”

“Yeah, mom, I know,” Codie took a deep breath and looked at Bailey for reassurance. Her girlfriend nodded encouragingly, and Codie went on. “Okay, so, mom? I’m a girl.”

Codie held her breath as she waited for a response. Bailey grabbed her hand and soothingly rubbed her knuckles with her thumb.

“I know you’re not supposed to say this, but I knew that, Code-ster,” Carey said. “And I still love you. Do you want to go by a new name? She/her pronouns, right?”

Codie almost started crying as she explained the changes.

“Thank you, mom. I love you.”

So Codie's mom, teacher, girlfriend, and friend knew. The next steps were Moseby and Zack, which Codie had decided to combine into one task. She had planned a lunch with the two, though neither were quick to convince. She borrowed a dress from London, this time (although “borrow” wasn’t really in the rich girl’s vocabulary, as she tended to never repeat clothing), painted her own nails pink, and got Bailey to do her makeup. She didn’t even wipe it off before leaving the dorm this time! Codie took a good look in the mirror, finally feeling like the reflection was right, kissed her girlfriend, and went downstairs.

When she reached the Aqua Room, Zack and Moseby’s argument had grown to a level that was making the waiters make nervous eye contact, daring each other to be the one to butt in. Needless to say, that ended when they caught sight of Codie. Well, not exactly—she was far enough away that Zack checked her out over Moseby’s shoulder before going shock-white at his realization.

“Cody, man, you know we were just joking when we said you were basically a girl…”

“Yes, Cody, this is the sort of prank I’d assume of your brother, not you.” The argument started anew as Codie carefully sat down, smoothing her skirt (which was very, as London would say, “SHINEYYY”).

“Guys!” Codie’s voice broke through the ruckus. Moseby and Zack looked at her again, as if they’d thought she was a shared hallucination. “I need to tell you something. That’s why we’re here.”

The boys (men?) looked at Codie expectantly, and she almost laughed. Of course she was scared, but with everyone she had backing her up, already? She wasn’t too worried.

“So, obviously I look a little different than usual. Normally, you only see me in a dress when some strange prank we’ve gotten into requires it. The truth is, though, I like dresses. I don’t want to come up with ridiculous excuses whenever I want to wear them. And it’s not just that I like dresses. I like everything about being a girl, because… I am one.”

Codie held her breath as she watched Zack and Moseby process her confession. Midway through, she’d realized that they were the first boys she’d come out to, and all her fears had come rushing back.

“Wait, dude, what? You’re just, like, a girl now?” Zack spluttered. Codie nodded, and Zack went on. “But, l-w—how?”

Codie sighed and calmly explained the science. She (and Bailey) had done her research. Unfortunately, she should’ve known who she was talking to. Moseby seemed comforted by the facts, but Zack was still staring blankly.

“It just means that I am a girl. I’ve always been a girl, I just have a male appearance because my body was created wrong.” Zack seemed to understand this explanation better, but then he started to worry.

“Hold on, so if we’re twins… d-do I have to be a girl, too? ’Cause, like—”

“Oh, I can not handle this if Zack is a girl!”

“No, no, guys! It just means that I’m a girl. Zack, you’re whoever you feel like you are. My identity doesn’t define yours.”

This seemed to clear everything up (though it seemed like Zack had some more thinking to do), and the conversation moved on. There were still new problems, like where Codie would room for the rest of the year and when she’d get hormones, but she knew they’d all get through it. They had all they needed: each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, I am cis, so I may be writing the trans experience incorrectly. Please let me know what y'all think; I live for comments! <3


End file.
